Former NHL player and now analyst Sean Avery believes the Toronto Maple Leafs need to sign Sam Bennett this offseason.
The Maple Leafs will have an intriguing offseason ahead with Mitch Marner and John Tavares as pending free agents. After another playoff exit, Maple Leafs’ general manager Brad Treliving said the team needs a DNA change.
One way to make a DNA change, according to Avery, is to let Marner walk and sign Bennett of the Florida Panthers to whatever deal is possible, even if that means overpaying him.
“All the money that organization has wasted on guys, the least they can do is overpay one guy who is actually going to leave an imprint on the DNA of the organization,” Bennett said on the JD Bunkis Podcast. “Even if he plays six of the eight years, it’ll be the best money ever spent.”
Bennett is in the final year of his four-year, $17.7 million deal with the Panthers and will get a massive deal this summer. He’s a gritty, hard-nosed forward who can bring a different element to the Maple Leafs’ roster that has been missing in years past.
However, Avery doesn’t think Bennett will sign with the Maple Leafs, as he believes he’ll stay in Florida.
Bennett recorded 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 points in 76 games this season. In the playoffs, he currently has 13 goals and 6 assists for 19 points in 19 games entering Game 3 of the Cup Final.
NHL Insider Links Bennett to Maple Leafs
Outside of Marner, Bennett is arguably the next-best player available in free agency.
Bennett will be highly sought after by several teams. However, NHL insider John Shannon reports that Bennett will only sign with the Panthers or Maple Leafs.
“Don’t waste your time. He’s gonna play in one of two places,” Shannon said. “He’s gonna play in Toronto or he’s gonna play in Sunrise, Florida. That’s it, that’s his decision. He’s not going to market the way other free agents go to market. He will go and play for the Panthers or the Maple Leafs. We just don’t know which one yet.”
If Bennett does make it to July 1, he will get a massive max-term deal and very well could be with the Maple Leafs.
Bennett is from just north of Toronto and was drafted fourth overall in the 2014 NHL Draft.
Maple Leafs GM Wants DNA Change
After the Maple Leafs had another disappointing playoff exit, Treliving made some bold comments.
Treliving said the DNA of the change needs to change, which was a bold comment. The Maple Leafs’ core has had nine years together and has just two playoff series wins during that span, which could lead to the change.
“There’s some DNA that has to change in our team,” Treliving said. “If you keep getting to the same result, and that’s not to dismiss a lot of the good that happened up to it. When you keep getting the same result, there’s some DNA that needs to change.”
The big way for the DNA change is to let Marner walk and pursue someone like Bennett to replace him in free agency.
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